1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical operation device that is attached to an insertion portion of a medical instrument for observation and that has excellent workability and operability.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, medical endoscopes have been used which perform observation of a diseased part or the like inside a body by inserting a long and narrow insertion portion into the body and which, as necessary, can perform various kinds of therapeutic treatment using a treatment instrument that is passed through the inside of a treatment instrument channel.
In this kind of endoscope, to improve the insertability to a curved site and to enable an observation optical system or the like that is provided at a distal end portion to be directed in a desired direction, for example, a bending portion that bends vertically and laterally is provided at the distal end side of the insertion portion. Further, when introducing the insertion portion into a target site within the body, in addition to performing an operation that bends the bending portion, a surgeon also performs an operation that twists the insertion portion.
For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007-0100201A1 discloses an endoscope system in which, while grasping the insertion portion of an endoscope, the surgeon can easily execute various functions of a treatment instrument that is inserted through a treatment instrument channel of the endoscope or various functions of the endoscope. In this endoscope system, an operation instructing device is disclosed that allows a surgeon to operate a bending knob with a hand that grasps the operation portion of the endoscope, and in addition to operating the insertion portion with the hand that grasps the insertion portion, the surgeon can also operate the various respective functions of the endoscope and a treatment instrument with that hand. Further, in this endoscope system, the operation instructing device is united with the insertion portion by operating a fixed lever.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-140055 discloses an endoscope apparatus in which holding of an insertion portion can be easily and securely performed with a hand that grasps an operation portion or a remote control. In this endoscope apparatus, an insertion portion is passed through an insertion portion inserting section of an insertion portion holding tool and a remote control is provided at a mounting portion. In this state, by strengthening or relaxing a force that grasps the insertion portion holding tool, the surgeon can easily switch between a state in which the insertion portion is fixed to the remote control and a state in which the insertion portion can freely move forward or backward with respect to the remote control. A bending lever comprising a bending operation switch that the surgeon operates when bending a bending portion of the insertion portion is provided in the remote control of the endoscope apparatus. Thus, the surgeon can perform an operation that bends the bending portion with the hand that grasps the insertion portion.
Thus, according to the above described operation instructing device, it is possible for the surgeon to release a hand from the operation instructing device. In contrast, although it is not possible for the surgeon to release a hand from the insertion portion holding tool, a fixed state and a state of forward/rearward movement are easily obtainable. However, the above described operation instructing device and insertion portion holding tool are provided directly on the insertion portion. Therefore, with respect to the operation instructing device or the insertion portion holding tool, it is necessary to enable a fixed state or a state of forward/rearward movement to be easily obtainable in a condition in which the surgeon can release their hands, and also to prevent adherence of body fluid or dirt that adheres to the insertion portion at a mounting section with the insertion portion.